Excavation equipment typically employ work engaging teeth for digging into the earth. These teeth are periodically replaced when they become worn, in order to maintain cutting ability of the excavation equipment.
It is customary to provide a tooth with an inner wedge male portion received in a female pocket in a generally complemental matingly wedged relation. A frictional locking device is employed which is compressed between the tooth inner wedge portion and the pocket to retain the tooth in mounted position. Various types and constructions of these frictional type locking devices have been used in the past, such as the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,854 issued to C. J. Evans on Feb. 11, 1975. While these prior devices have been useful for their intended purposes, the present invention relates to improvements thereover particularly in reduced manufacturing costs and enhanced frictional retention.